


In the Air

by Sarren



Category: Misfits
Genre: Episode Related, F/F, F/M, First Time, Gender Issues, Genderswap, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 19:30:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/299264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarren/pseuds/Sarren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Curtis has fun with his power, leading to complications with Rudy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaizoku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaizoku/gifts).



> **Warnings: references to previous canonical rape and dub-con.**  
>   
> 
> To my recipient. I hope this fic works for you. It is my first attempt at dealing with gender issues, so please, please, feel free to tell me if there is anything that I've got wrong, and I will happily rewrite it for you.
> 
> Thankyou so much to my beta readers zebra363 and jessalae, and to my Britpicker everywherestars.

Curtis didn’t bother to shut the lift gates. Everyone else was here, deep in conversation by the looks of things. “What’s up?” he asked.

“We been talking about my power,” Kelly said, leaning back against the bed, legs crossed.

Curtis sat on the floor, not really comfortable with the idea of sitting on Alisha and Simon’s bed. He could see how Simon was working the minimalist look, but they really did need to get some chairs in this place if they were all going to be hanging out here now.

“Like, maybe I should try and get a job at a garage, fixing engines and shit,” she continued.

“You want to be a mechanic?” Curtis could see it. He’d like to see any of the guys try and give Kelly shit for being a girl in a male-dominated workplace.

"It was Simon's idea. He was asking me how my power works and I told him about fixing Seth’s engine and he said I should start out small. Get a foot in the door, yeah?”

"Sounds good. Not exactly rocket science, though?"

Kelly pulled a face. "I've already tried that. No one fucking believes me."

Simon leant against his kitchen counter, shirtless, sipping a cup of coffee, a damp towel over his shoulder as though he’d just come out of the shower. He was pretty buff lately. Curtis suspected he was secretly working out. Or maybe not secretly, it wasn't like they talked about stuff like that. Come to think of it, the paranoid bastard was probably doing it deliberately, preparing for whatever it was he was convinced was coming to get them. Given how often shit happened to them though, probably wasn't a bad idea.

"Once she's got some experience she can design some engine improvements,” Simon said. “Just minor ones to start with, apply to places like Rolls Royce, show them what she can do.”

That was actually a really good idea. Simon had a lot going on behind that blank stare. “Got any ideas about how the rest of us can use our powers?”

Rudy’s face lit up. “You could make a fortune,” he said excitedly to Curtis. “No, really, just listen. You become, like, a fancy escort for politicians and what not,” he gestured pointedly, “girl you, I mean, and when you’ve got them in a compromising position, change back and take photos. It’s a win–win, either they pay you heaps of dosh not to expose them, or you sell the pictures to the tabloids.”

Kelly punched him hard in the arm.

“What the hell was that for?” Rudy yelled, looking bewildered.

Kelly glared at him. “For being a giant knob, that’s what.”

“You’re lucky I don’t punch you too,” Curtis said coldly. “You want me to become a prostitute, and as if that’s not insulting enough, you want me to blackmail people.”

“Not people, just politicians,” Rudy said earnestly. “And nothing wrong with it, is there? I have personally known many fine ladies who happen to earn their living sharing their sticky bits with men who, for whatever reason, feel that paying for sex is the best option for them. Who are we to judge?”

“I’m not using my power to become a hooker,” Curtis said with finality. “Also, you’re a dick.”

A hurt expression crossed Rudy’s face and disappeared so fast that if he’d blinked, Curtis would have missed it. Curtis felt an uncomfortable pang of guilt. It wasn’t Rudy’s fault he was such a git, Curtis supposed. Rudy never said anything outright, in fact, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid any personal subject at all. But Other Rudy sometimes let things slip that gave Curtis the impression that some pretty serious shit had gone down in Rudy’s life growing up to make him the way he was, so fucking damaged. Curtis didn’t like to think about it; he didn’t want to feel sorry for Rudy, who frankly was a dick a lot of the time, mostly when he opened his mouth and words came out.

”We’re supposed to use our powers for good. We’re like superheroes.” Simon stared at Rudy.

Rudy tilted his head and opened his eyes wide. “Says who, Starey?”

“Otherwise, what’s the point?” Simon said it as if it were obvious.

For a minute Rudy looked like he was going to keep arguing, but then he shrugged. “So, if we’re like superheroes, Simon’s Jean Jones, then,” he said, scratching his balls as he wandered over to the fridge and helped himself to a beer.

“Who?” said Kelly blankly.

“In the Justice League,” Simon said, ducking his head and smiling that weird little smile of his. “Jean Jones was the Martian who co-ordinated them all.”

Curtis smirked. “Well, you are a Martian,” he said, but not too harshly. Simon was okay.

“Oi!” Alisha said, and kicked him hard in the shin.

“I was kidding,” he protested, rubbing his leg.

“Well, don’t.”

“I’m like The Flash,” Rudy said, striking a pose. “Too cool for school, and God’s gift to women.” The can slipped from his outstretched fingers and hit the floor. Liquid spurted and fizzed in all directions.

“You twat!”

“My bad! My bad!” Rudy said clearing the area with his arms, even though none of them had made a move to clean it up. Rudy danced over to Simon and whipped the towel off his shoulder. He crashed to his knees on the floor, swiping around in an attempt to mop up the mess.

“Oi!” Alisha said, “That was a good towel.”

Simon didn’t seem concerned about the state of his towel though. “The Flash only _thinks_ he’s irresistible,” he pointed out.

“I know,” Kelly said, grinning. “You can be The Twattish Twins.”

Rudy frowned. “No, I don’t think that would work,” he said seriously, looking vaguely around as if wondering where to put the towel. He threw it behind him, looking innocently in another direction.

“Superdick!” Alisha said gleefully.

“No, but _seriously_ now,” Rudy said, smiling as though their mocking didn’t bother him, but Curtis noticed that one hand pressed against his stomach for a few moments. He had a sudden mental image of times when something had upset Rudy and Other Rudy had come bursting out and how Rudy would clutch at his stomach beforehand, as though he was in pain, or trying to prevent him from emerging. Maybe their teasing had hit home.

Curtis couldn’t believe he was feeling sorry for Rudy of all people. Still. “We’re not superheroes,” he said, to stop that conversation, “superheroes save people.”

“We save people,” Simon said.

“So far we’ve killed nearly as many people as we’ve saved.”

“That’s why we need to practice.”

Rudy groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. “You’re like a broken record, you know that?”

“I’m serious. It’s only luck that one of us hasn’t been killed already, now Curtis can’t turn back time and save us anymore.”

Simon had a point. “What are you thinking?” Curtis asked.

“We should take self defence classes,” Simon said earnestly. He looked at Alisha intensely, even by Simon’s standards. “You should be able to look after yourself…in case anything happens.”

Alisha was staring at Simon. She looked like she was blinking back tears. “Nothing’s going to happen, all right?” she said fiercely.

Simon smiled down at her. “Of course not,” he agreed gently. “I just think it can’t hurt to be prepared. Who knows what powers are still out there?”

“Simon’s right,” Kelly said.

“I agree,” Curtis said. “We already lost Nikki. We don’t want to lose anyone else because we were unprepared.”

The others all nodded, including Rudy. Then his expression changed to one of confusion. “Who’s Nikki?” he asked.

 

Curtis heard hurried steps behind him and turned, tensing, but it was just Rudy. He turned back and kept walking, forcing himself to relax as Rudy fell into step next to him.

“Hiya,” Rudy wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

“All right,” Curtis greeted him.

“I been thinking,” Rudy said. “I could be wrong, mind, but it seems like maybe we have unresolved issues.”

“You think?”

“This is about that time I went down on you, yeah?”

Curtis glared at him. “Just drop it,” he said. He didn’t want to hear any more excuses. He just wanted to forget about it.

Of course, Rudy ignored him. “I honest to God, hand on heart, do not understand what the fuss is about,” he said, sounding sincerely bewildered. “You were all over me. I were happy to oblige. If it weren’t for drunken hook-ups, most people wouldn’t ever get a leg over.”

“I was off my head!”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Rudy said, catching his arm. Curtis yanked it out of his grasp and turned to confront him. Rudy threw up his hands. “No, really, I want to know,” he insisted. “I may be many things, but I am not a rapist!”

Curtis turned to lean against the railing, staring out over the water. “Yeah, whatever,” he said, tired of the subject.

“Look, I’m sorry, I am. I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

Rudy put his hand on his heart. “That hurts,” he said, his mouth turned down sadly. “What is it that you’re really angry about?” he said, staring narrowly at Curtis. “Is it the gay thing? You thought I was your girlfriend, I thought you were a hot bird, nothing gay going on here at all.”

“It’s not the gay thing!” Curtis looked at Rudy. Rudy was staring at him as though he really, genuinely wanted to understand. The guy was an idiot, but he wasn’t a bad person. Maybe this’d even be a learning experience. And it wasn’t just because of Rudy that Curtis was angry about the whole thing, was it, if he was honest. “It wasn’t the first time, all right?” he admitted, turning to stare out at the water again. He wondered how many bodies were down there, a gruesome thought, one that never would have occurred to him in his old life.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rudy come and lean against the rail next to him, facing him, not too close. “Not the first time what?” he said, unusually hesitantly, for him.

“Alisha’s old power, yeah? She used it on me once.”

Rudy looked blank. “I don’t…?”

“She could touch guys and make them want to have sex with her.”

“I’m pretty sure she can still do that, mate.”

“Not like that. It was like, you couldn’t help yourself. She’d touch a guy and he’d have no control. It wasn’t pretty. She nearly got raped several times. I couldn’t believe it when she did it to me.”

“But you were together, yeah? Didn’t you want to have sex with her?”

“Not like that. It’s like, she touched me and afterwards I didn’t remember anything, just woke up in a toilet stall with my prick hanging out and the smell of spunk in the air and Alisha doing herself up, looking so damn smug.” He realised his fists were clenched on the railing when Rudy patted one gently, lifting his hand away hurriedly when Curtis glared at him.

“So Alisha raped you because you didn’t have control over your body,” Rudy said slowly, “and then you were spiked and your judgement was impaired so you think I…”

Rudy looked sick. He clutched at his stomach and doubled over. Curtis watched as Other Rudy staggered apart from him and straightened up.

Other Rudy stared at Curtis sorrowfully. “No wonder you can hardly look at me,” he said.

Curtis hadn’t realised he’d noticed. He’d tried not to make a thing of it, and he’d got over it pretty damn quickly.

“What are you talking about? Shut up!” Rudy said, putting himself between them.

“That’s why you hate it when I touch you.”

“He does not. Go away. Go find your girlfriend and have lots of cry-baby shagging.”

“She’s not my girlfriend anymore, is she?” Other Rudy sulked. “You drove her away. You.”

“I were just telling it like it is.” Rudy spread his hands. “She did cry a lot.”

Other Rudy looked like he was about to launch himself at Rudy.

“Why do you keep on doing that, anyway,” Curtis asked Other Rudy, to distract him, “touching me?” He figured he might as well ask Other Rudy while he was here, at least that way he had a chance of getting a straight answer. He’d wondered if Rudy did it to be annoying or because he–”

“I like you.”

“Aaargh,” Rudy said, clutching his head and taking several strides away, then striding back again, waving his arms. “Don’t listen to him,” he said, glaring at himself. “You sad cunt,” he spat. “I’m warning you.”

Curtis really wanted to walk away from this, to not have to deal with Rudy’s epic bullshit anymore, but he found he couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine hating yourself so much that it became a whole separate part of you. It was beyond pathetic, and he couldn’t help feeling sorry for Rudy. Both of them.

“I don’t have any real friends,” Other Rudy confessed.

“I wonder why,” Curtis said, before he could help himself, and then could have kicked himself when both Rudys winced. “Sorry,” he said.

“No, you’re right. I deserve that.”

Rudy made a sound of suppressed rage and threw his arms up in the air. “Right, that’s it. You and Billy-no-mates here can bond over what a pathetic loser he is. I’m off.” He strode away, nearly running.

Curtis watched Other Rudy watch himself walk away.

“I am sorry, you know,” Other Rudy said, turning back to him. He was actually wringing his hands. Curtis looked at his downcast eyes, his slumped shoulders.

“Yeah, you said that.”

“He is, too. We feel like shit about the whole thing. We wish there was a way to make it up to you.”

“Not taking advantage of drunk girls would be a good start.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“I’m not talking about you.”

“I think he’ll agree. He likes you too.”

“He shouldn’t be doing it because he likes me. That’s not the point.”

Other Rudy shrugged. “Listen, you want to go get a beer?” he asked. He wasn’t meeting Curtis’s eyes.

Curtis looked at Other Rudy, staring out over the water. He was an okay bloke, if a bit of a downer. “Sure, why not?”

He was surprised when Other Rudy smiled shyly at him. It was the first time he’d seen him smile.

Rudy was in the pub. God, was there no getting away from him? Other Rudy put his hand on his arm. “Let’s go somewhere else,” he said and Curtis nearly agreed, but then Rudy waved to them, smiling cheerfully and gestured to the barman and held up two fingers. Pride made Curtis move forward. He slid into the booth and Other Rudy sat down next to him.

Rudy was half-pissed already, judging by the empty pint glasses on the table. He appeared to have forgotten their argument. But then, that was Rudy wasn’t it? Then the barman, Ray, appeared with more beers and Curtis took a large swig gratefully.

“I want to make it up to you,” Rudy announced loudly.

“Shhh,” Curtis said. That was all he needed, for everyone here, including his workmates, to hear some twisted version of events.

“I were drunk, you was high,” Rudy waved his hands around, thankfully lowering his voice. “Neither of us were in our right minds, right?”

“And?”

“We should do it again.”

The sheer fucking gall of him. Curtis waited for the anger to boil up again, but instead he just felt exasperated. “What?” he said coldly.

Other Rudy was shaking his head in despair, or denial.

Rudy gestured. “Let me go down on you again, you know, while you’re a girl. Let me make it good for you.”

“You think sex fixes everything,” Curtis realised in disbelief.

“You could tie me up, if you like. Have your wicked way wi’ me.”

“Not going to happen.” Curtis drained his beer in one go and pushed at Other Rudy. Other Rudy slid out and stared at him sadly as Curtis stood up.

“Never mind, it was just an idea. No hard feelings, all right?” Rudy said, looking up at him.

“Whatever,” Curtis said, and left, aware that they were both staring after him.

 

It was the weekend, so he had a break from seeing Rudy, but he couldn’t stop dwelling on their conversation. It was messing with his head.

He and Emma usually talked on the phone on Sunday mornings. He thought about having a wank first, but decided to wait and see if she felt like joining him. Sometimes she just wanted to chat, but if she wasn’t too tired from training or partying the night before she’d turn on the laptop and they’d get off together.

He’d never had a best friend in the old days, too busy training all the time, hadn’t really had anyone he could talk to like this. Maybe it was a girl thing. When he’d been with Alisha he’d been hot for her all the time, yeah, but they hadn’t really had much to talk about. Alisha only seemed interested in Alisha, though to be fair, he probably hadn’t been a bundle of laughs to be around. Emma had been a wakeup call. Emma, who he could talk to about anything – his uncertainty about the future, whether they even had one, the way shit kept happening to them. Emma, who knew about his power, loved his power, once she’d stopped being freaked by it.

He liked her a lot. He wanted to love her. He wasn’t sure what was holding him back. Maybe because she liked Melissa more than Curtis. Not that she said so, but she was more open with Melissa, not so much with the sex – Emma seemed equally happy to wank with him whether he had his dick or his cunt out – but talking about personal shit, the problems she was having with her new coach, even the lump she’d found on her breast, that had turned out to be nothing, thank God.

“Something weird’s going with Rudy,” he blurted.

Emma looked confused, understandably, since she’d been in the middle of telling him some story about going to her folks’ for Christmas. “The guy who–”

“Yeah.”

“Ah.”

“I think he fancies me.”

Emma looked puzzled. “I thought you weren’t going out as Mel in public anymore.”

“I’m not!”

“So, he’s trying to chat _you_ up?”

“I’m not sure what he’s up to.” Curtis didn’t feel up to explaining the two Rudys. “The other day he actually volunteered to ‘make it up to me’ by going down on Melissa again.”

Emma stared at him in disbelief. “Is he a complete idiot?”

Curtis had to laugh. “That about sums him up.”

“But you like him.”

“He’s okay.” Some of him was. Some of the time. “It’s complicated.”

Emma stared at him thoughtfully.

“What?” he said, feeling defensive.

“Well, then…” she said, pointedly.

It took a moment to get what she was hinting at. “You’re kidding!” he said.

“You told me it wasn’t bad?”

“I thought it was you! I told you! Plus, I was off my face.”

Emma just looked at him.

“Also,” he said, since it seemed to need pointing out. “I’m not gay!” Sure, he’d experimented when he was younger, when he was away at sports camp and it was all easy, but he’d grown out of it. It was all perfectly normal, he knew that.

“When you’re Mel, do you only fancy women?”

“Of course,” Curtis replied.

“Well, technically, then, sometimes you are.”

Emma was supposed to be helping, not confusing matters. “You’re doing my head in,” he complained. “I’m still me. I’m a guy. When I change, it’s like, I’m still me, the body doesn’t matter.”

“You said it was different.”

“Yeah, but that’s just hormones or whatever.”

Emma looked sympathetic. “You’re confused,” she said.

Curtis sighed heavily and slumped in his chair. “Yeah, I am.”

“This has never happened before – as far as we know – there’s no rule book. I think you get to make it up as you go along.”

“Great, thanks,” he said, wryly. Somehow, that wasn’t as reassuring as she probably meant it to be.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

 

It was pissing down. Not even the probation worker would make them go out in that, though he looked like he was thinking about it for a while. Finally he turned away from the window and shrugged. “All right, then. The store rooms need a good sorting out. Tidy shit up, sweep and mop and if you get all that done you can piss off early. If you nick anything, or if you do a shit job, there will be repercussions. All right?” The probation worker looked them all over like he was thinking about caring about what they did, if only he could be arsed.

Curtis just stared at him, as did the others. If they didn’t answer back, the probation worker could pretend he believed they were obedient little monkeys and go and do his own thing. Even Rudy kept his smart-arse comments to himself for once.

The probation worker raised his eyebrows meaningfully and made a shooing gesture. Curtis turned with the others. A hand brushed against his back and he turned to see Rudy at his shoulder. He shrugged him off. Rudy smiled and turned to walk backwards ahead of them. “We should pair up, you know, in case there’s any heavy lifting. We don’t want to risk doing ourselves an injury. I suggest Simon and Alisha take a room,” Rudy winked spasmodically. “Me and Curtis’ll take the room with the heavy equipment in it, since we’re the most manly men here – no offence, Simon–”

“None taken,” Simon said blandly.

“I’m not pairing up with you,” Curtis said firmly.

Rudy didn’t appear to hear him. He looked at Kelly, with a sympathetic grimace. “I’m afraid that does leave you on your lonesome,” he pointed out.

“Fuck you,” Kelly said.

“Thanks for the offer, love, but you’re not me type,” Rudy said, regretfully. “Though you do have very nice tits,” he said, as if he genuinely thought he was reassuring her.

Kelly gave him the finger.

Curtis stopped at a small, dusty room. Bags and nets and random stuff he couldn’t identify were piled haphazardly around. “I’ll do this one,” he announced.

Rudy moved towards the door. Curtis put his hand against his chest to halt him. “Alone,” he said, firmly.

“Now, then, don’t be like that,” Rudy pouted.

Curtis just stared at him. Rudy raised his hands in surrender. He turned and wandered off down the hall.

“Right, then,” Curtis said, and went into the store room, hearing the others move off to the other rooms. He took a moment to figure out how best to stack stuff and then got to work. It took about an hour, including finding a broom and giving it a cursory sweep, and he was sweating and ready for a break when he finished. There was no sign of the others. The gym mat caught his eye. He could do with a lie down, some peace and quiet. He closed the door, stretched out on the mat and closed his eyes.

He must have dozed. He was warm and relaxed, arousal curling gently through his body in that way it did when he was Melissa, ghostly fingers trailing lightly up his inner thighs, and it felt good, very good, until slowly the realisation crept through him that he didn’t know who was touching him. A jolt of adrenaline shuddered through him and his eyes shot open. He was alone. His heart was beating too fast, and a sheen of sweat covered him. Her. He’d changed while he was asleep. Okay, that was new. Maybe because of the sex dream. Speaking of, his body was still feeling it; he might as well make the most of the opportunity. He listened, still couldn’t hear anything from the others, maybe they’d finished and gone. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. He slid his fingers into his pants.

God he loved this. Loved taking his time, loved the way the pleasure built and surrounded him, the way his limbs went weak and heavy and he could hardly keep his eyes open, focussed inward, his awareness of his surroundings dimming as he rubbed faster, the pleasure building, building, building –

There was a clattering sound. Curtis’ eyes flew open and he stared, horrified, at Rudy, standing transfixed in the doorway, a broom lying on the floor next to him.

“Fuck!”

“Oh. My. God.” Rudy breathed.

Curtis scrabbled to pull up his pants and uniform, feeling stupidly vulnerable lying on the gym mat practically at Rudy’s feet. Rudy seemed to stagger the two steps over to him. He crashed to his knees, his eyes fixed, to Curtis’s surprise, on Curtis’s face.

“You’re beautiful,” he breathed, and Curtis couldn’t doubt the sincerity in Rudy’s awed voice. It made him feel weird and, like, fluttery, in his stomach, and he was still horny, his pussy wet and throbbing and it didn’t seem to care that Rudy was here. Hell, more than that, it seemed happy to see him, and he didn’t like it, he shouldn’t be reacting to Rudy that way.

“That is absolutely, without doubt, the hottest thing I have ever seen.”

“Piss off!” Curtis said, embarrassed and weirdly ashamed, and angry at himself for feeling like that. It was only Rudy. Rudy, who wasn’t trying to touch him, wasn’t trying anything at all, just kneeling beside him, looking like Curtis – like Melissa – was something wonderful, something special.

He was still Melissa. Why hadn’t he instinctively changed back? Why was his body still hot for it? He was prickly, on edge, waiting for something…it couldn’t be Rudy…

“You haven’t changed back,” Rudy said softly.

Curtis glared at him. “So?”

Apparently he did want this after all. If only Rudy didn’t open his mouth and spoil it, say something that Curtis’s pride would force him to react to – but this was Rudy, Curtis wasn’t holding his breath for a miracle. Curtis’s stomach clenched, waiting for Rudy to say something offensive or ridiculous…

Rudy took a deep breath. His eyes wandered down the length of Curtis’s body, and then came back to fix on Curtis’s face again. “Let me? Please? I’ll make it good for you,” he said softy.

Curtis searched for a sign that Rudy was taking the piss, but he seemed to be in earnest, his eyes staring at Curtis – Melissa – with admiration.

“No funny business, yeah?” Curtis said, lying back on his elbows, propped up so he could see what Rudy was up to. He didn’t trust him that much.

“Scout’s honour,” Rudy said, sketching a vague salute.

“You were never a scout.”

“I were an’ all,” Rudy said. “Not for long, though. Just as well, turned out one of the Scout Masters were touching the boys.” Rudy made a disapproving face. “Inappropriately.” He shook his head sadly. “Pillar of the community, he was. Very disappointing.”

“I reckon you make half this shit up.”

“Made the papers and everything.”

Whatever. “You can’t tell anyone about this.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, mate. Soul of discretion, that’s me.”

“Go on, then, if you’re going to.”

Curtis watched as Rudy reached forward with both hands, slowly as if he were afraid Curtis was pulling his leg. Curtis fought the urge to edge away, to tell Rudy he’d changed his mind. It was crazy, he’d about lost the mood now anyway, and then Rudy’s hands hooked under his uniform and underpants and tugged, and Curtis found himself lifting his hips, letting Rudy slide them down his legs, tugging his trainers off and shoving them all away. Curtis was naked except for his t-shirt. He looked down the length of his body, at the tuft of hair at his crotch, his long, bare, female legs. Rudy crouched at his feet, looking at him, staring at his pussy. Rudy looked like all his Christmases had come at once, and suddenly Curtis wasn’t fighting the urge to close his legs, he was fighting the urge to open them, to display himself, to show off for Rudy. Then Rudy was sliding his hands slowly up Curtis’s calves, only the slightest pressure when he reached his knees, and Curtis let his legs do what they would, falling apart as Rudy’s fingers slid so lightly up the inside of his thighs. Christ, it was just like his dream, and God, there it was, Rudy had barely touched him but the pleasure was curling through him. Rudy bent and kissed his thigh, ran his tongue lightly the rest of the way up, Curtis’s pussy throbbing in anticipation. Then Rudy’s mouth closed around his clit and sucked and tongued him and Curtis lost track of what Rudy was doing because fuck, _fuck,_ and the pleasure pulsed through him, crashing around him. “Don’t stop!” he panted, staring down at the head bent between his thighs.

Rudy looked up, his mouth obscenely wet. “Your wish is my command, love,” he said. He bent his head again. Curtis let his arms stop supporting him and fell back against the gym mat and lost himself in the pleasure of it.

He kept his eyes closed until the last of the sensations faded, hoping without much hope that Rudy had gone. When he opened them though, Rudy was sprawled by his side, one hand on his softening cock that was sticking out of his uniform.

Something jolted through Curtis. “What–?” he started to say, instinctively changing back.

Rudy looked up at him with wide eyes. “Just had a wank,” he said hurriedly. “Didn’t touch you, I swear,” he said, tucking his cock away quickly.

“All right, keep your hair on,” Curtis said. He noticed that Rudy averted his eyes from Curtis’s cock. Interesting.

“If you tell anyone…” Curtis said, trying to sound as threatening as possible. He reached for his clothes that Rudy had tossed to the side.

“I won’t, I promised I wouldn’t.”

“What about him?”

“He won’t say anything, will he?” Rudy said. “He fucking _likes_ you.”

 _“He_ does.”

Rudy rolled his eyes and shook his head as if to deny any connection between him and the other one.

“So, it’s like, there’s two of you in there all the time?” Curtis stood up to pull his uniform around his waist. Even given all the weird shit that had happened, the idea of having sex with two people in one body was breaking his brain.

“It’s not like that. When we’re together I’m just me. When we split though, the whiny little bitch is on his own.”

“Man, you’re messed up.”

Rudy didn’t disagree.

“Right, then. Uh, thanks, I guess,” Curtis said awkwardly.

Rudy leered at him. “You’re very welcome,” he said. “Feel free to partake of the Rudy Magic any time.”

Curtis rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said, and left the room without looking at Rudy again.

 

Kelly was wearing a tight low cut top that showed off her fantastic tits. There really wasn’t any need to leer all over them the way Rudy was, though being Rudy, he probably thought he was paying her a compliment.

“Are you looking to get a slap?” Kelly said, scowling at him, and crossing her arms, which just showed her tits off even more.

Rudy raised a finger as though to emphasise the point he was about to make and opened his mouth. It was like watching a car crash.

“Face or balls?” Curtis muttered to Simon.

Simon just shook his head, looking resigned.

“I was just thinking, right, that as the only two single, eligible members of our little gang, that you and me should go get a drink sometime,” Rudy suggested.

Kelly sneered at him. “You said I wasn’t your type.”

“A bloke can change his mind, can’t he?”

“Not interested.”

“Don’t be like that, love. I really feel that we could have something special.”

Kelly glared at him. “I wouldn’t go out with you if you were the last guy on Earth,” she said.

“Harsh.” Rudy looked wounded.

“Go. Fuck. Yourself.”

Rudy clutched his stomach and had only started to groan when Other Rudy appeared and stood gazing at him reproachfully.

Rudy glared at the other him. “You’d think that’d be the perfect answer, wouldn’t you?” he said. “I mean, who knows what you like better than yourself, am I right? Unfortunately, Mr Grumpy-face here won’t hear of it, will you? ‘Oh no, that’s like incest’, he says,” Rudy jeered, making quotation marks at incest.

“It’s just not right,” Other Rudy mumbled.

Rudy waved his arms at himself. “It’s like twins – it’s not incest if it’s twins.”

“Actually, it is,” Simon volunteered.

“Is it, though?” Rudy said, swinging around and sticking his face close to Simon’s. Simon put a firm hand on his chest to halt him. Alisha wasn’t the only one who’d changed, Curtis thought. Once upon a time Simon would have backed down.

Rudy paced away. “Well, what’s wrong with incest anyway? It was good enough for the Romans, wasn’t it?”

“Who’s that when they’re at home?” Kelly said.

Rudy waved at her dismissively. “I don’t know, some blokes who liked sticking it to their sisters. I saw it on the telly once.”

Other Rudy stared at Rudy. “I thought you weren’t gay?” he said pointedly.

Rudy shot himself a vicious look. “Wanking! It’s like wanking! Doing yourself is not gay.”

“You keep insisting you’re not me.”

“And you keep insisting that I am. Anyway, for the sake of women everywhere, I can’t fuck myself.”

Other Rudy muttered something.

Rudy spun around. “Fingers don’t count!” he shouted at himself. He took several steps away and bent to rest his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths.

“Why can’t you fuck yourself?” Simon asked. Simon never did let anything go.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t?”

“Not to us.”

“I’d ruin myself for anyone else.”

“’Cause you’re so brilliant at it?” Alisha said skeptically.

“Obviously.”

Kelly looked him up and down dismissively. “Keep telling yourself that, mate.”

 

Only Kelly and Alisha were on the roof when Curtis got up there. Alisha was sunning herself in a bikini top and tiny floral skirt that flipped around with the breeze and Kelly, with her feet up, was smoking, as usual oblivious to the heat.

Curtis flopped back on the sun bed, closing his eyes, the breeze pleasantly cool through his thin vest.

“Oi, do you mind? Girls only,” Alisha’s voice said. God, she was bossy sometimes.

“Since when?”

“Since we said so, all right?” Kelly chimed in.

“It’s a free country.”

“Says who?”

Curtis focussed, the unsettling feeling of the change shivering through him almost instantaneously. It was getting easier, the more he did it. “All right, then?” he asked, opening his eyes.

Alisha was glaring at him. “You taking the piss?”

“No.”

“You’re still you.”

“I am and I’m not.”

“Er, and what’s that supposed to mean?” Kelly asked.

“I’m still me. But, I don’t know. Something’s different. Like, with Emma. It’s easier when I’m Melissa.”

“Maybe she just likes girls more?”

“Nah, it’s like, I can talk to her about stuff. I get her.”

“What, like now you have, what, feminine intuition, or some bullshit?”

“I don’t know, all right.” Screw them. Curtis started to sit up. “Whatever, I’ll go.”

“No, stay,” Alisha said, pushing up her sunglasses. ““It’s just weird, seeing you like this. Takes getting used to, is all.”

Oh, yeah. He’d been about to leave and it hadn’t occurred to him to change back first. It was like, he was getting more comfortable in Melissa’s skin.

“You still seeing Emma, then?”

“We Skype,” Curtis said, feeling a bit defensive. “There’s another training camp coming up in a few months, she’ll be back then.”

“So it’s like when we were together, yeah?” Alisha made the jerking off gesture with her hand. “Back to wanking off in front of each other. That’s like, ironic, or something.”

“Is it,” Curtis said flatly. He settled back on the deckchair. The sun was pleasantly warm. He thought about stripping the uniform off completely, baring his legs, basking like Alisha. Or would that be too girly? They’d probably give him shit for it, anyway.

Alisha looked at him over her sunglasses. “How come you’re suddenly all keen to be one the girls then? Thought last time would’ve put you off.”

“What?” Curtis felt his cheeks flush, his heart start to pound. Had fucking Rudy told them after all? Then he realised they were just looking at him mildly, no mockery, no knowing looks and he realised they were referring to the time they’d finally seen him being Melissa. “Which part?” he asked, embarrassed all over again at the memory. “The part where guys kept sexually harassing me or the part where I got a period in front of everyone?”

“Welcome to being a girl,” Kelly said, sounding sympathetic.

“Is it like that all the time, then?”

“Which part, getting your period? You’re lucky you got to change back before you actually had to deal with it,” Alisha said. “But the guys, yeah, if you’re halfway attractive, you can pretty much count on get slobbered on all the time,” She sound resigned. She’d changed. She used to revel in having guys all over her.

“That sucks,” Curtis said heartfeltedly.

“Is that why you haven’t done it again, then?” Kelly said. ‘Cause it’s so terrible being a girl?”

“Who says I haven’t?”

“You have?” Kelly leaned forward. “What, when you’re wanking with your internet girlfriend?”

“Well, I can hardly go out. What if I start bleeding again? It’s not like I have a…a….cycle.”

“Then you deal with it. Not wearing white’s a good start. Shove loo paper in your knickers if you have to.”

“Gross.”

“You get used to it.” Kelly said, flicking her cigarette butt expertly over the railing. “Not doing it just ‘cause of that’s just being a fucking coward,” she said raising her eyebrows and staring at him pointedly.

“What about…pads?” Curtis said, not sure why the idea of putting tampons in was weird, when Emma had put her fingers up there. The memory made him tingle pleasantly.

“Too bulky,” Kelly said matter-of-factly. “You can use liners, but they’re a bit pricy if you’re going to wear them all the time. Plus, you can’t get rid of them down the bog ‘cause it blocks it up.”

So much for any last shred of feminine mystery. Curtis grimaced. “I wouldn’t be wearing them all the time, innit?”

“Oi, I meant to ask. That time I saw you with Simon, all tarted up. Where’d you get all the gear?”

“I borrowed the dress from Emma.”

“Yeah, but like, I could have sworn you were wearing makeup, and you definitely had high heels on.”

It was stupid to feel embarrassed. “Them too. I figured if I was going to be a girl, I may as well do it right. Besides, as long as I’ve got this power I should practice, you know, in case.”

“Practice walking in heels?”

“We should all practice using our powers.” Simon stepped into view, Rudy following behind. “We need to be prepared at all times,” he said earnestly. Simon always gave the impression he knew something they didn’t when he made statements like that. It was creepy.

Alisha smiled up at him as he leant down to kiss her, her hand coming up to stroke his cheek gently. Curtis noticed she didn’t tell Simon ‘girls only’. She was like a different person since she’d got with him, not as hard. Curtis still couldn’t get over the change.

“We know,” Kelly intoned, sounding bored.

“I don’t see why I need to practice, though,” Alisha said. “I can see through other people’s eyes whenever I want to.”

“How long can you do it for?” Simon asked her earnestly. “Is there a limit to how far away the person is?”

“Can you do it to people off the telly?” Rudy hoisted himself up to sit on the wall. “Phwoar, how about bloody Prince William, then?”

Curtis stared up at him. “What would be the point of that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Rudy said, looking pleased with himself. “They’re newlyweds, right? So they’re probably shagging like minxes every chance they get.”

“So?”

“So…” Rudy looked around at them, as though he couldn’t understand why they didn’t get what he was on about. “Well, that Kate Middleton’s a very attractive piece of arse, isn’t she?”

“So?”

Rudy sighed impatiently. “So like, tuning in when they’re making rumpy-pumpy, looking through Wills’ eyes, it’d be practically like doing Kate yourself.”

Alisha rolled her eyes. “And why would I want to do that? I’m not gay.”

“Fair point,” Rudy nodded. “You could look through Kate’s eyes, then...naah, you’re right,” Rudy said, shuddering theatrically. “Still, pick the girlfriend of some fit bloke you fancy–”

“I’m not a perv, either!”

“Is it perving, though?”

“Yes!”

“I prefer to think of it as ‘sharing’.”

Rudy was staring at his crotch. Curtis crossed his legs, feeling self-conscious. He repressed the urge to change back; he didn’t want Rudy to know he was getting to him. Fucking Rudy. He should never have let him go down on him. So far he hadn’t said anything, but who knew how long that’d last. Worse than that though…it had been good. Really good. Either Rudy was really practiced at pleasuring girls or he was naturally talented…either that or girls were really easy to get off that way. Curtis hadn’t really done that very much with the few girlfriends he’d had before Alisha. He could blame the limited time he’d had between training, but really, Emma had been right, he had been just concerned with his own pleasure. Just like with Rudy. Except, that wasn’t the same thing. Was it?

Curtis changed back while the others were busy arguing and got to his feet. “I’m off,” he announced.

“See you,” the others said, barely looking up from their argument.

Curtis got his shit together and shut his locker. Rudy was standing there. “What?” Curtis said, not caring how rude he sounded.

“I thought we could…” Rudy waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Do you see any vaginas in this room?”

“Well, no, but –”

“I’m not changing into Melissa just to have sex with you.”

“Oh, go on. It were good last time, weren’t it?”

“I don’t get it. What do you get out of this?”

Rudy frowned, and he cocked his head, looking confused.

“You said you don’t even liking doing it, remember?”

“What?”

“You know,” Curtis gestured vaguely downwards.

“Oh, right. Yeah, well I may have exaggerated a bit, you know. I mean, what man would turn down the chance to bury his face in a lovely wet pussy, am I right?”

“But it’s still me. I’m not actually a girl, you get that, right?”

“Pussy is pussy.”

Curtis stared at Rudy. Rudy twitched. His hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “Look, I’m just saying, I’m not limiting my options, all right? I liked Melissa – and you’re Melissa, sort of…”

Rudy was practically squirming. Maybe he wasn’t quite as straight as he claimed. Maybe he fancied Curtis. Rudy did hang around him a lot, touched him a lot. He looked at Rudy. Nah, stupid idea. Rudy just wanted to get laid. So did Curtis. He’d had that prickly feeling under his skin pretty much since he’d changed into Melissa. Maybe it was like that Pavlov’s dog thing, he kept changing into Melissa just to have a wank and now his body expected it. And Rudy was damn good at it. He was getting horny just remembering last time. And it’s not like Curtis had anything better to do right now. He’d been planning to have a girl-wank when he got home anyway.

“Come on, then,” he said and led the way to the room with the gym mats. He tipped one onto the floor and was changing even as he got rid of the uniform and lay down.

Rudy knelt next to him, looking at him eagerly. It made Curtis feel weird. Sexy. Rudy hadn’t even touched him yet.

“Take your top off,” Rudy asked, his voice husky.

Curtis hesitated. Rudy was staring at his chest. God, his nipples were tingling already. What the hell. He stripped off his vest and threw it aside. Rudy’s hands were clenched. Now Curtis knew what that expression about eyes devouring someone meant. He didn’t know whether he wanted to cross his arms over his tits or grab Rudy’s hands and put them where he wanted them.

“Beautiful,” Rudy murmured.

Rudy still wasn’t doing anything but stare. What was he waiting for? God, Curtis was completely naked, exposed, while Rudy was fully dressed. What would it look like if someone came in? And that thought shouldn’t be so hot, shouldn’t make the heat start gathering down there, shouldn’t make his breasts ache and goosebumps spread over his body, Rudy watching avidly as his nipples tightened.

“Mouth and hands only, yeah?” he said. Rudy’s eyes flew up to meet his, wide with surprise. “And if I say stop, you stop straight away.” Rudy nodded frantically. “If you don’t, if you fuck up–”

“I won’t, I swear I won’t.”

He expected Rudy to go straight for his tits or his cunt, to get him off as fast as possible. He didn’t expect Rudy to trail fingers along his waist, over his rib cage, stroking lightly around the edges of his tits, leaving a trail of heat under his skin, for Rudy to lean over and kiss his belly, to mouth along his skin to lick and kiss his nipples, taking his time while Curtis writhed and gasped, his world narrowing, consisting only of sensation, and then abandoning them, so that Curtis moaned in protest. But then Rudy kissed his throat and sucked the skin there and God, Emma had never done that to him, he’d had no idea. His whole skin felt like it was on fire. He was vaguely aware that he was sprawled helplessly on the floor, head thrown back, thighs shifting restlessly, his loins aching, craving something…anything…

Rudy was covering him, the rough material of his uniform dragging along Curtis’s skin, his tits. Curtis wanted to rub up against him, to get more of that. Rudy was kissing his ear now, thrusting his tongue around the edges, inside, and God, that should be gross, and then Rudy bit his lobe and fire shot straight to his groin and he needed…he needed…Curtis slid his hand between his thighs, to where he was wet, so wet. He rubbed his fingers urgently over his clit, and God if he could just get off; he _needed_ to. Then another hand was there, pushing his out of the way, large fingers circling and Curtis was clenching his internal muscles, he was aching for something more…something…

“Put your fingers in me,” he demanded.

Rudy stopped and that wasn’t what Curtis wanted at all. He moved against Rudy’s fingers, trying to get them where he wanted them.

“Are you sure? Because you said…”

“Do it, damn you!”

“As long as you’re sure.”

God, was Rudy deliberately trying to drive him crazy, because if so, Curtis was going to kill him. Then Rudy thrust fingers into him hard, over and over again, and Curtis’s body was clenching around him, he was reaching, reaching… His world consisted of Rudy’s fingers inside him, Rudy’s body on top of his, friction against his nipples, so sensitive now it was almost tipping over into discomfort, Rudy’s face next to his, his breath against Curtis’s neck. There was a sharp pain against his throat and Curtis convulsed, his whole body on fire.

Curtis came down slowly, becoming aware that Rudy was collapsed against his side, that his stomach was wet and sticky. “Did you come on me, you prick?” Curtis asked indignantly.

Rudy flapped a vague hand and then dropped it back against Curtis’s thigh. “Sorry, dude.” He groaned and stretched. “Give me a sec to recover and I’ll go down on you if you like.”

Curtis thought about it. That orgasm had been mega intense. It had pretty much taken it out of him. On the other hand…

“Yeah, all right,” he said. “Give me your t-shirt first, though.”

“What for?”

“Because having your spunk all over me is disgusting, that’s why,” Curtis said, pointing at the mess on his belly.

Rudy stripped off his t-shirt, and Curtis swallowed hard, realising that between the two of them they were mostly naked now. It was too much like what they were doing was really…something. Rudy dropped the shirt on Curtis’s belly but even as Curtis reached for it, Rudy pushed his thighs apart and dived in, his tongue and fingers busy. God, this body was responsive. Curtis let his head fall back against the mat and stared blindly at the ceiling. He’d think about it later.

 

Kelly cornered him at his locker. “What you doing?” she demanded.

“What do you mean?

“I saw you, yeah?”

“You didn’t see nothing.”

“You fucking cheating on Emma, now?”

“What do you care?” he asked, surprised.

“I care about you being a dick. I thought you were better than that.”

“Emma and I are just friends.”

“You’re not together no more?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Right,” Kelly drawled.

“She lives ages away, plus she’s always training. We agreed that a proper relationship wouldn’t work.”

“What you’re like what, fuck buddies or summat?”

“I guess.”

“Fair enough. So now you’re screwing Rudy as well?”

“We’re not…I’m not…” What _were_ they doing? What was _he_ doing?

“I heard ya.”

“Were you spying on me?”

That made Kelly back off a bit. “I might have been curious about what you two were doing sneaking off together,” she admitted.

Curtis glared at her. “That’s out of line.”

She wasn’t easily distracted, was Kelly. “But Rudy?”

“Are you going to have a go at me about the gay thing, now?” he said, feeling defensive.

Kelly looked at him like he was crazy. “Nah, mate. Whatever floats your boat. Don’t bother me none.”

“Oh, well. Thanks, I guess.”

“But _Rudy_?”

Curtis rubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t know what it is.”

“You should probably figure that out, mate. Someone’s going to get hurt, and it’s probably you.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said and leant forward, resting his forehead against the locker.

Kelly patted him sympathetically on the shoulder and left him to it.

 

It never occurred to Curtis that it was possible to knock _yourself_ up. He panicked, so desperate to not be pregnant that he didn’t think about the other consequences. Losing a cool power. Not being able to be _Melissa_ anymore. He missed it. Being her. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t even like he’d been sticking anything right up there.

He waited until the next time they Skyped to tell Emma. He wanted to see her reaction. She just seemed concerned about him. “How do you feel about it?” she asked.

“Weird, actually. She was just starting to feel like part of me, you know?”

Emma tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Not really,” she said, looking bemused.

“No, right.” Curtis hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he had to ask. “What about you?”

“What about me, what?”

“I’m just me again.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Well, you didn’t like me very much when I was just Curtis. Now Mel’s gone…it’s just me.”

“Curtis, it was your negativity I didn’t like when we first met, but you’ve changed. You. Not Mel.”

“You always seemed more comfortable talking about stuff with Mel.”

“Maybe. But _you_ always seemed more comfortable talking about stuff when you were Mel. It’s not like I didn’t know I was talking to Curtis too, you twit.”

“That’s…good to know.”

“Okay then, sorted.” She raised her eyebrows. “Speaking of girl talk, how’s Rudy taking it?”

Curtis wished he had a handy wall to knock his head against. “Surprisingly well. I thought that’d be it, that it – whatever _it_ is – would be over, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference.” Curtis had thought he’d be relieved at thought of Rudy leaving him alone; instead he’d had this weird sinking sensation in his stomach. It had made no sense. His girl body hadn’t cared who was making it come, but his own body bloody well did, thank you. But Rudy still touched him, still stared at his arse, still made comments that made Curtis want to smack him, but left him feeling weirdly confused and pleased.

Emma looked intrigued. “So, what, is he giving you blow jobs now?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“’Cause I’m not gay, that’s why!”

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

“That was different.”

“Because girls getting it on is okay but guys getting it on isn’t?”

“It’s not that. I don’t think that.”

Emma’s face softened. “I know you don’t.”

“It’s not like I haven’t tried it,” he confessed, because he was starting to feel like not telling her was actively deceiving her.

Emma looked intrigued. “You have?”

“You know what camp’s like.”

Emma nodded.

“I just grew out of it, I suppose.”

“And yet you’re having sex with Rudy.”

“I closed my eyes when he went down on me when I was Mel.” Well, he had the first time.

“Oh, Curtis.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Curtis said defensively. Wasn’t it? “It was his idea. He didn’t expect…anything in return.”

Emma looked at him.

“Emma, this is Rudy we’re talking about. His cock nearly fell off from all the casual sex he had. Like, literally.”

“He sounds pretty messed up.”

Curtis opened his mouth to agree and then shut it again, feeling oddly protective. “He can be a dick. He says whatever he thinks and doesn’t care about people’s feelings…but he has a good side. It’s just usually really well hidden.”

“Sounds like it,” Emma said wryly.

“I’m bored of talking about Rudy,” Curtis said. “How’s your love life?”

Emma grinned at him cheekily. “So there’s this new girl. She’s really fast. Reminds me of you, actually.”

Curtis settled back his chair. “Yeah?”

“She keeps sneaking looks at me…”

.

Curtis watched the two Rudys wrestling playfully in the community centre hall, wincing in sympathy as one of their heads ‘accidentally’ smacked into the wall. There didn’t seem to be any particular reason for Other Rudy’s presence. They both seemed cheerful enough. That is to say, Rudy was cheerful and Other Rudy wasn’t actually bitching and moaning about anything.

When Dead Pissed Off Religious Nutter, as Rudy had since taken to calling her, started waving the Stanley knife around, it had taken a moment to sink in that she was actually serious. Dangerous. Curtis had been shagging her not long since. Suddenly she was all about revenge? What the fuck? And while Curtis was still processing, it was Rudy who stepped up, Rudy who tried to talk her down. Curtis hadn’t thought he’d have the balls. If only Curtis had moved closer too, he might have been able to stop her lunge at Alisha. He’d been afraid of provoking her. He was still kicking himself about it.

With Alisha dead and Simon gone after her, whether or not Rudy fancied Curtis and whether or not Curtis might possibly, maybe, not be completely against the idea didn’t seem such a big deal anymore. Rudy seemed to have backed off, though he still watched Curtis a lot. He even seemed to be making an effort not to be a complete dickhead, at least some of the time. Maybe Curtis should give him a chance. Give _them_ a chance. See if there was anything there. The way shit kept happening to them, one or both of them could be dead tomorrow.

It was only just after four when Seth’s BMW pulled up outside. “See ya, then,” Kelly grinned, and left. Curtis couldn’t be arsed to stay until five either – it wasn’t like there was a probation worker checking up on them still.

He looked around for the Rudys but there was just one of him again. Watching him.

“I’m going home,” Curtis announced.

Rudy nodded and started to turn away.

Curtis sighed. “Come on then,” he said, “if you’re coming.”

 

Rudy followed him home like a hopeful puppy.

“Drink?” Curtis asked, going to his bar fridge.

“Ta,” Rudy said, looking around.

Curtis handed him a beer and cracked one open for himself. He sat down on the edge of his bed, watching Rudy fidget about the room. Rudy didn’t seem to know what to do next, and it just felt awkward. Curtis had been counting on Rudy to make a move, grab Curtis’s cock or something.

“Look, man, this is too weird,” he said at last. “Let’s just give it miss, yeah?”

“No, please,” Rudy said and came and knelt down in front of Curtis, reaching for his flies. Curtis let him, taking another swig of his beer as Rudy grabbed hold of his cock and bent his head. Curtis let him suck him; let him jerk him off. It felt good. Better than good. That answered that question then, the gay thing wasn’t a deal-breaker. But his cock may not care who was sucking it, or why, but Curtis did, it turned out. This felt wrong and not because Rudy was a guy.

“Stop,” he said and Rudy froze. He sat back, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, staring at the floor. He looked like he was bracing for rejection.

Curtis stared at the top of his head. They could do better than this. They were mates now, of a sort; they’d been through too much together. Rudy obviously felt something for him; Curtis would have expected him to have lost interest ages ago. Maybe it was worth giving it a go.

“Rudy.”

Rudy looked up at him, crouched at his feet.

“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly.”

Rudy looked wary. “You sure you want to do that?”

“Yeah.”

“To be clear,” Rudy said slowly, “we _are_ talking about actual sex, here.”

“Just the basics,” Curtis said. He hadn’t forgotten the way Rudy had burst on to the scene, full of glee about all the anal sex he was having. “You go near my arse and you’ll be lucky if your fingers are all that I break,” he warned.

“Understood,” Rudy said, sketching a quick salute.

They stared at each other.

“I’m not doing it on the floor,” Curtis said, and then found himself flat on his back, being seriously snogged, while Rudy’s hands burrowed under his shirt, sliding up and down his sides, his chest, his belly. After a moment of disorientation, because it hadn’t even occurred to him that kissing was on the table, Curtis grabbed Rudy’s head and kissed him back, rolling them over so that he straddled Rudy, and Rudy yielded to him. Rudy went all melty and compliant and fuck, that was a turn-on; Curtis’s hard on, which had lost a bit of interest during their conversation, was back with a vengeance. Rudy was fumbling with their jeans now. Curtis sat up to help him. Then Rudy had hold of both of their cocks and Curtis braced himself on his arms and thrust into Rudy’s hands, his face pushed into Rudy’s neck, Rudy’s breath harsh in his ear, and for that moment, felt as close to Rudy as he’d ever felt to anyone.

 

Afterwards he dozed. Slowly he realised Rudy was still awake. Too awake, by the sounds of things.

“If you had any pride at all you’d leave right now.”

“Shut up. Curtis likes me.”

“Is this like that time you thought Katy Edmonds liked you and you bought tickets to the Coldplay concert and asked her in class and everyone laughed at you?”

“She was always nice to me. How was I supposed to know she was already going out with someone from another school?”

“She wasn’t going out with someone else. She just said that because she pitied you because you’re so pathetic. You don’t even like Coldplay.”

“No one likes Coldplay. They just pretended they did for the, like, 12 seconds they were cool.”

“Leave now, before he wakes up and kicks you out.”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

Even in hushed angry whispers Curtis could tell which Rudy was talking. “I’ll kick the both of you out if you don’t shut the fuck up,” he groaned, putting his pillow over his head.

There was a wary silence.

“Also,” Curtis said, because he figured some ground rules were in order right now, “this bed is not big enough for three.”

More silence. Then the other side of the bed shifting as someone climbed in and gently tugged at the duvet. Curtis had half wondered if Rudy would want to cuddle, given how touchy-feely he was, but Rudy didn’t try anything. In fact, given how still he was lying and how he wasn’t touching any part of Curtis’s body, Curtis figured Rudy was deliberately avoiding touching him. He was probably still afraid Curtis was going to kick him out, even after everything. Rudy’s self-esteem issues would fill an Olympic stadium. With a martyred sigh, Curtis turned over and threw an arm over Rudy. “Go to sleep,” he grumbled, and was asleep himself within minutes.

 

“If this Rudy’s as good as you say he is, I might be interested. Do you reckon he’d be up for a threesome?” Emma smiled at him, that same cheeky grin that had first attracted him to her. It still worked on him.

He didn’t even need to think about Rudy’s response. “I think he’d be up for it, yeah,” he said drily.

Emma grinned. “Good,” she said. “I’ll see you next month, then.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Rudy chose that moment to groan and stretch and yawn, even still mostly asleep he was a show-off, flaunting his body.

“Is that him?” Emma asked, trying to peer around him.

“Yeah, is that okay?”

“What, that you call me while you have another man in your bed?” Put like that it sounded bad. But Emma just grinned. “Yeah, fine. Show us him, then.”

Resigned, Curtis tilted the camera. Rudy was naked; his cock lay against his belly, heavy with morning wood.

“You didn’t mention that he was so…impressive.”

“I didn’t really notice until last night.”

“I would have thought that would be hard to miss.”

Rudy mumbled something and heaved himself into a sitting position, gave his balls a scratch and then used the same hand to rub a hand through his messy hair.

“Nice,” Emma said.

“Yeah, that’s Rudy. I did warn you.”

“Hi Rudy,” Emma called.

Rudy peered over at the screen. “Morning, love,” he said, and slid off the bed. “Don’t mind me, got to go take a piss.” He staggered off.

“I’ll, um, leave you to it, then,” Emma said knowingly.

“Thanks,” Curtis said, wryly.

He was turning off the computer when Rudy returned. “Did you tell her about…you know…other me?” Rudy asked as he got back into bed.

Curtis grinned, already considering the possibilities. “Nah,” he said. “Let’s surprise her,” he said, and crawled on top of Rudy.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies to Coldplay fans - I swear I picked a name at random :)
> 
>  
> 
> This has been interesting and a challenge to write. Concrit most welcome.


End file.
